The present invention relates to a technology to make a document which is folded in two or in three, and in particular, to a technology to conduct folding processing that is suitable for a process to form an image on a sheet.
A processing apparatus to conduct folding processing for a sheet is widely applied in the field of bookbinding, and a processing apparatus to fold a sheet or to fold relatively small number of sheets is also widely applied as one to make a sealed document for mail.
Conventional folding processing apparatuses are large-sized and expensive, and are intended to conduct a large amount of processing at high speed.
However, depending on a type of a document, there are a good many documents which are relatively small in quantity and require different handling, in addition to a large amount of unified documents. In the case of a sealed document for direct mailing, for example, a document wherein an individual slip carries different information such as an address and other information sometimes needs to be folded, and in that case, manual operations to group individual different documents are needed before or after the documents are processed in the folding process apparatus.
The conventional apparatus to conduct a large amount of uniform processing has a problem that overall efficiency cannot be improved.
An object of the invention is to solve the aforesaid problem in the conventional folding processing apparatus in the case of processing documents wherein a group of documents in a small quantity are different from each other and/or wherein individual slips are different from each other, and to provide a small-sized and inexpensive finishing apparatus which can cope flexibly with various applications and can make folded documents at high overall efficiency and an image forming apparatus having therein the finishing apparatus.
Accordingly, to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, the above-mentioned object of the present invention can be attained by an image-forming apparatus and finishers described as follows.
(1) An image forming apparatus, comprising: a first folding device and a second folding device, both of which conduct folding processing while conveying a sheet; a controller to control both of the first folding device and the second folding device; and a selector that makes it possible to select a two-folding mode or a three-folding mode; wherein the controller controls the first folding device so as to eject the sheet after folding the sheet double when the two-folding mode is selected by the selector, while the controller controls the first folding device so as to fold the sheet double, and then, further controls the second folding device so as to eject the sheet after further folding the sheet in three when the selector selects the three-folding mode.
(2) The image-forming apparatus of item 1, wherein the first folding device comprises: a first conveyance-folding device that conveys the sheet; and a knife-shaped folding member to feed the sheet into the first conveyance-folding device in a state that a folded portion of the sheet is its forefront, and the second folding device comprises: a second conveyance-folding device that folds and conveys the sheet; and a stop guiding member to stop a leading edge of the sheet conveyed by the second conveyance-folding device.
(3) The image-forming apparatus of item 2, wherein the stop guiding member guides the sheet along a conveyance path of the sheet in a three-folding process, while the stop guiding member retreats from the conveyance path in a two-folding process.
(4) The image-forming apparatus of item 1, further comprising a binding device, wherein the binding device, the first folding device and the second folding device are successively arranged in a conveyance direction of the sheet.
(5) The image-forming apparatus of item 4, wherein the binding device comprises an intermediate stacker inclined, and the first folding device is arranged along a conveyance path that is inclined in a direction opposite to that of the intermediate stacker.
(6) The image-forming apparatus of item 4, wherein the binding device comprises an intermediate stacker inclined, and the first folding device is arranged along a conveyance path that is inclined in the same direction as that of the intermediate stacker.
(7) The image-forming apparatus of item 1, further comprising a binding device, wherein the binding device is arranged on a downstream side in a conveyance path of the sheet with respect to the first folding device.
(8) The image-forming apparatus of item 1, further comprising: a stacking member disposed on the upstream side of the first folding device to stack a plurality of sheets on it.
(9) An image-forming method, comprising the steps of: forming an image on an obverse surface of a sheet; conveying the sheet on which the image is formed; folding the sheet at a first position that is about ⅔ of its total length from a leading edge of the sheet in a conveyance direction of the sheet so that the obverse surface becomes convex, in a first folding process; and folding the sheet at a second position that is about ⅓ of its total length from the leading edge of the sheet in the conveyance direction of the sheet so that the obverse surface becomes convex, in a second folding process.
(10) The image-forming method of item 9, wherein the first folding process and the second folding process are conducted for the sheet that is conveyed so that a tip of the image is positioned at the leading edge of the sheet.
(11) An image-forming apparatus, comprising: an image-forming device to form an image on an obverse surface of a sheet; a first folding device to convey the sheet on which the image is formed and to fold the sheet at a first position that is about ⅔ of its total length from a leading edge of the sheet in a conveyance direction of the sheet so that the obverse surface becomes convex; and a second folding device to fold the sheet, folded by the first folding device, at a second position that is about ⅓ of its total length from the leading edge of the sheet in the conveyance direction of the sheet so that the obverse surface becomes convex.
(12) The image-forming apparatus of item 11, wherein a folding process conducted by the first folding device is only enabled, and a delivering operation of the sheet, which is folded double, is enabled.
(13) The image-forming apparatus of item 11, wherein the first folding device comprises a knife-shaped folding member.
(14) The image-forming apparatus of item 11, wherein the second folding device comprises: a conveyance-folding device to convey and fold the sheet; and a stop guiding member to stop a leading edge of the sheet conveyed by the conveyance-folding device.
(15) A method for finishing a sheet on which an image is formed, wherein a first folding device folds the sheet in case of folding the sheet double, while a second folding device further folds the sheet after the first folding device folds the sheet in case of folding the sheet in three.
(16) A finisher for finishing a sheet on which an image is formed, comprising: a first folding roller; a second folding roller contacting the first folding roller; a knife-shaped folding member to insert a folded portion of the sheet into a nip formed between the first folding roller and the second folding roller; a third folding roller contacting the second folding roller at a downstream side of the first folding roller in a conveyance direction of the sheet; and a stopper guide member to stop the sheet conveyed by the second folding roller; wherein a combination of the first folding roller, the second folding roller and the knife-shaped folding member folds the sheet as a first folding process, while a combination of the second folding roller, the third folding roller and the stopper guide member folds the sheet as a second folding process.
(17) A finisher for finishing a sheet on which an image is formed, comprising: a first folding roller; a second folding roller contacting the first folding roller; a third folding roller; a conveyance roller contacting the third folding roller; a knife-shaped folding member to insert a folded portion of the sheet into a nip formed between the first folding roller and the second folding roller; a fourth folding roller contacting the third folding roller at a downstream side of the conveyance roller; and a stopper guide member to stop the sheet conveyed by the third folding roller and the conveyance roller, wherein a combination of the first folding roller, the second folding roller and the knife-shaped folding member folds the sheet as a first folding process, while a combination of the third folding roller, the fourth folding roller, the conveyance roller and the stopper guide member folds the sheet as a second folding process.
(18) An image-forming apparatus, comprising: an image forming device to form images on both obverse and reverse surfaces of a sheet in such a manner that a directions of the images are maintained at a constant in respect to a leading edge and a trailing edge of the sheet conveyed in a conveyance path; and a finisher, comprising a folding device to convey the sheet delivered from the image forming device and to fold the sheet at first and second positions that are about ⅓ and ⅔ of its total length from a leading edge of the sheet in a conveyance direction of the sheet so that the obverse surface becomes convex.
(19) The image-forming apparatus of item 18, wherein the image forming device feeds the sheet into the finisher in such a manner that a rear end of an image comes to the leading edge of the sheet conveyed in the folding device, and the finisher comprises a reversing member to reverse the sheet in terms of leading and trailing sides of the sheet in its conveyance direction, and the folding device folds the sheet at a position which is about ⅓ of a total length of the sheet after folding the sheet at a position which is about ⅔ of the total length.
(20) The image-forming apparatus of item 18, wherein the image forming device feeds the sheet into the finisher in such a manner that the reverse surface of the sheet faces upward.
(21) The image-forming apparatus of item 18, wherein the folding device comprises a stacking member to stack a plurality of sheets on it.
(22) The image-forming apparatus of item 18, wherein the finisher comprises a binding device, and the binding device and the folding device are arranged in succession from an upstream side in a conveyance direction of the sheet fed from the image-forming device.
(23) The image-forming apparatus of item 18, wherein the finisher comprises a binding device, and the folding device and the binding device are arranged in succession from an upstream side in a conveyance direction of the sheet fed from the image-forming device.
Further, to overcome the abovementioned problems, other image-forming apparatus and finishers, embodied in the present invention, will be described as follow:
Structure 1.
An image forming apparatus having therein a first and second folding means to conduct folding processing while conveying a sheet, a selecting means to select a two-folding mode or a three-folding mode, and a control means, wherein when the two-folding mode is selected by the selecting means, the control means conducts the control to operate the first folding means to fold a sheet double to eject, while, when the three-folding mode is selected by the selecting means, the control means conducts the control to operate the first folding means to fold a sheet and to operate the second folding means to further fold to fold in three to eject.
Structure 2.
The image forming apparatus according to Structure 1 wherein the first folding means has a first conveyance folding means that conveys a sheet and a knife-shaped folding member that feeds a sheet in the first conveyance folding means with the folded portion of the sheet being in the forefront, and the second folding means has a second conveyance folding means that folds a sheet and conveys it and a stop guiding member that bends a sheet by stopping a movement of a leading edge of the sheet conveyed by the second conveyance folding means.
Structure 3.
The image forming apparatus according to Structure 2, wherein the stop guiding member guides a sheet along a conveyance path for a sheet in the case of three-folding processing, and the stop guiding member retreats from the conveyance path for a sheet in the case of two-folding processing.
Structure 4.
The processing apparatus according to either one of the Structures 1-3, wherein a binding means is provided, and the binding means, the first folding means and the second folding means are arranged in succession along the conveyance path for a sheet.
Structure 5.
The image forming apparatus according to Structure 4, wherein the binding means has an inclined intermediate stacker, and the first folding means is arranged along the conveyance path that is inclined in the direction opposite to that of the intermediate stacker.
Structure 6.
The image forming apparatus according to Structure 4, wherein the binding means has an inclined intermediate stacker, and the first folding means is arranged along the conveyance path inclined in the same direction as in the intermediate stacker.
Structure 7.
The image forming apparatus according to either one of Structures 1-3, wherein a binding means is provided, and the binding means is arranged at the downstream side of the first folding means in the conveyance path for a sheet.
Structure 8.
The image forming apparatus according to either one of Structures 1-7, wherein a stacking means on which a plurality of sheets are stacked is provided at the upstream side of the folding means.
Structure 9.
An image forming method having therein an image forming process to form an image on at least the obverse of a sheet, a first folding process to convey an image-formed sheet, and to fold the sheet at the position that is about ⅔ of the total length of the sheet from its leading edge in the conveyance direction so that the image-formed obverse may be convex, and a second folding process to fold the sheet folded in the first folding process at the position that is about ⅓ of the total length of the sheet from its leading edge in the conveyance direction so that the image-formed surface may be convex.
Structure 10.
The image forming method according to Structure 9, wherein the first folding process and the second folding process are conducted for the sheet that is conveyed so that a tip of an image is positioned at a leading edge of the sheet.
Structure 11.
An image forming apparatus having therein an image forming means to form an image on at least the obverse of a sheet, a first folding process to convey an image-formed sheet, and to fold the sheet at the position that is about ⅔ of the total length of the sheet from its leading edge in the conveyance direction so that the image-formed obverse may be convex, and a second folding means to fold the sheet folded in the first folding process at the position that is about ⅓ of the total length of the sheet from its leading edge in the conveyance direction so that the image-formed surface may be convex.
Structure 12.
The image forming apparatus according to Structure 11, wherein only folding processing by the first folding means is conducted, and the sheet folded in two can be ejected.
Structure 13.
The image forming apparatus according to Structure 11 or Structure 12, wherein the first folding means is provided with a knife-shaped folding member.
Structure 14.
The image forming apparatus according to either one of Structure 11-Structure 13, wherein the second folding means has therein a conveyance/folding means that conveys a sheet and folds it and a stopper guide member that folds a sheet by stopping the movement of a leading edge of the sheet conveyed by the conveyance/folding means.
Structure 15.
A sheet processing method for finishing the image-formed sheet, wherein, when folding a sheet in two, the folding is performed by a first folding means, while, when folding a sheet in three, the first folding means conducts folding and then a second folding means conducts folding.
Structure 16.
A finishing apparatus having therein a first folding roller, a second folding roller that comes in contact with the first folding roller, a knife-shaped folding member that feeds the folded portion of a sheet into a gap between the first folding roller and the second folding roller, a third folding roller that comes in contact with the second folding roller at the downstream side of the first folding roller in the conveyance direction, and a stopper guide member that stops an advance of the sheet conveyed by the second folding roller, wherein, the first folding is conducted by the first folding roller, the second folding roller and the knife-shaped folding member, while, the second folding is conducted by the second folding roller, the third folding roller and the stopper guide member.
Structure 17.
A finishing apparatus having therein a first folding roller, a second folding roller that comes in contact with the first folding roller, a third folding roller, a conveyance roller that comes in contact with the third folding roller, a knife-shaped folding member that feeds the folded portion of a sheet into a gap between the first folding roller and the second folding roller, a fourth folding roller that comes in contact with the third folding roller at the downstream side of the conveyance roller, and a stopper guide member that stops an advance of the sheet conveyed by the third folding roller and the conveyance roller, wherein, the first folding is conducted by the first folding roller, the second folding roller and the knife-shaped folding member, while, the second folding is conducted by the third folding roller, the fourth folding roller, the conveyance roller and the stopper guide member.
Structure 18.
An image forming apparatus having therein an image forming means capable of forming images on both the obverse and the reverse of a sheet in a way that no change is made on relationship between the leading edge and the trailing edge of the conveyed sheet in terms of the image direction, and a finishing apparatus equipped with a folding means that conveys the sheet ejected from the image forming means and conducts folding of a sheet at the positions which are about ⅓ and ⅔ of the total length of the sheet from its leading edge in the conveyance direction so that the obverse of the sheet may be convex.
Structure 19.
The image forming apparatus according to Structure 18, wherein the image forming means feeds a sheet into the finishing apparatus in a way that a rear end of an image comes to a leading edge of the sheet that is conveyed by the folding means, the finishing apparatus has a reversing means that inverts the sheet in the conveyance direction in terms of front and rear, and the folding means conducts folding at the position which is about ⅔ of the total length of the sheet and then, conducts folding at the position which is about ⅓.
Structure 20.
The image forming apparatus according to Structure 18 or Structure 19, wherein the image forming means feeds a sheet into the finishing apparatus with the reverse of the sheet facing upward.
Structure 21.
The image forming apparatus according to either one of Structure 18-Structure 20, wherein the folding means has a stacking means on which a plurality of sheets are stacked.
Structure 22.
The image forming apparatus according to either one of Structure 18-Structure 21, wherein a binding means is provided, and a binding processing means and a folding means are arranged in succession from the upstream side along the conveyance path into which the sheet has been fed.
Structure 23.
The image forming apparatus according to either one of Structure 18-Structure 21, wherein a binding means is provided, and a folding means and a binding means and are arranged in succession from the upstream side along the conveyance path into which the sheet has been fed.